Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — A surge in vacation rental properties on platforms like Airbnb is driving up competition among accommodations in top Mexican tourist destinations, putting pressure on occupancy rates and revenue, according to industry specialists.
Data from AirDNA and 4S Real Estate shows that Playa del Carmen had 12,411 active listings between 2022 and 2023, a 5% annual increase. During the same period, average occupancy stood at 53%, while revenue per available room (RevPAR) fell 6% year-over-year.
Tulum recorded 8,762 listings on vacation rental platforms, a 28% jump between 2022 and 2023. The destination saw an average occupancy of 46% and a 14% annual decline in RevPAR.
The trend comes amid overall tourism growth. Data from INEGI (national statistics agency) indicates that tourism GDP grew about 0.8% annually in 2025. Beach destinations reported an average occupancy of 70.4%, with Playa del Carmen reaching nearly 79%.
Ricardo Straffon, founder and CEO of Sofía Fractional Residence Club, said tourism growth no longer guarantees automatic profitability for property owners and investors.
“It’s not that the accommodation model on apps like Airbnb stopped working, but it’s no longer simple. Today, an asset in a tourist destination competes not only on location, but on operation, service, and consistency of experience,” he said.
Straffon noted that profitability increasingly depends on operational management, digital positioning, maintenance, and guest experience. “Unlike other market moments where location was enough to sustain value, today performance depends more on operational factors: rate management, platform positioning, service quality, maintenance, and guest attention,” he added.
He said the competition among properties also forces owners to manage multiple sales channels and absorb operating costs that directly impact revenue.
Discover more from Riviera Maya News & Events
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
